Love Never Dies
by thefaultinourducks
Summary: Kayde Cathel is just a normal girl in a normal world, other than the fact that she's living in Hades with her dad Hades. She leads a reasonably normal life in Hell until her 15th birthday, when she receives a gift that will change her life... and possibly Nick's. Who is the mysterious boy she stumbles into, and why is he in Hades?
1. Chapter 1

I wake up to streams of ghoulish, sickly green rays of light streaming through my ebony window frame, leaking through the black curtains and into my squinting eyes. Screams of pain and agony act as my alarm clock each and every morning, although, since I don't go to school, I don't really appreciate the wake up call. Sure, call me an ingrate, but how would you like it if every day, yes, that includes weekends, you wake up to howls of the tortured souls surrounding your house?

Yeah, you heard me. _Tortured souls._ Outside of my _house._ Maybe it would help you understand if you got to know me better. My name is Kaydence Cathel, but I prefer to be called Kayde. Some hobbies I enjoy are drawing, sketching, singing, tanning and reading on the banks of the River Styx, and horseback riding. Of course, the horses I ride are skeletal...

So, yeah. My name's Kayde, or Kayden, both short for Kaydence, and I live in Hades. You know, the Greek underworld? Yep, that's the one. I'm what you would call a demigod, but I'm kind of an exception. Most demigods live in the mortal world, running for their lives, getting slaughtered by mythical monsters, and dying in unusual, painful, and cruel ways. But sadly I have to miss out on all of those fun activities. My mom, Cecile, died of a heart attack when I was merely a toddler, so my dad swooped in and decided to save me from a life of foster parentage and running from home to home. But the life I have now is... Well, in a word, unique.

My dad, who had completely ignored me until my mother died, was Hades, King of the Underworld, ruler and punisher of all despicable souls, etc., etc. So that meant I had to come down to the underworld, where the only people to socialize with are _dead_ people and my dad's servants, who are, big surprise, dead.

That's pretty much my life so far. A teenage girl stuck in the gloomy underworld, with nothing to do but watch shadowy souls graze the Fields of Asphodel. Not exactly movie worthy, is it? No thrilling journeys, no sensational quests, no real _fun._

I decide to get my lazy arse up and out of bed. Sitting up, I rub my eyes and shake off my charcoal sheets and step onto my gray carpeted floor. Another downside of living in Hades: everything is in shades of black and white. Yipee. Sarcasm intended. With my mental complaints pushed aside, I continue my daily morning routine. I take in my reflection in the mirror. Unkempt dark chocolate curls cascade down my shoulders, stopping near the bottom of my spine. My olive skin was tan from hours of basking in the ghoulish green rays of artificial sunlight on the rocky banks of the Styx. Eyes the color of amber stare back at me with a fierceness that only a girl raised alongside a bunch of monsters would have. My 5' 6" body was fragile looking, but I was actually stronger than some of my dad's soldiers.

"Gah!" I grunted as my charcoal cardigan caught on my tangled hair, sending me stumbling blindly around my room, finally collapsing on my bed again. I take the time it takes to detangle myself from my shirt (wow, I never thought I would have to say _that_) to loosely schedule my plans for the day. Gasping faintly, I remember what tomorrow is.

Tomorrow was my fifteenth birthday, and my dad always gave me some kind of gift that gave me another way to interact with things in the underworld. For example, for my thirteenth birthday I got my very own horse. She was the dead soul of this really fast race horse who was murdered by her owner. For my tenth birthday I got an actual _living guinea pig!_ He, well, he died of the poison in the air... That wasn't my best birthday. Is it possible to be anxious about something that will almost surely end up being a disaster? Because, if it is, that is precisely the emotional state I am currently in.

After a couple of silent minutes spent pondering what my father would decide to bestow upon me tomorrow, I get up and trudge quietly outside after stopping to greet my dad. The landscape was as gloomy as could be, with its glowering mountains, artificial green skies, and black clouds of poison air that hang over the hills of dead grass that the shades, more commonly know as souls or spirits, roamed day after endless day. _That reminds me, _I recall. _I planned a picnic today! _

I run back inside of my fathers mansion, into the kitchen, and grab my picnic basket and cloth from the island counter. Then I sprint back to the Fields of Asphodel and jump the barbed wire fence, a skill I had mastered in my twelve years in Hell.

It isn't hard to find my hiding spot. The great oak tree I refer to as my escape is one of the few trees that has survived the rough conditions of Hades, and out of all of them, it is obviously the tallest and most lucious. I go through my lunch routine, swinging the table cloth over my shoulder and hanging the basket on a branch as I boost myself up onto the tallest tree branch. Crouching, I spread the table cloth out so it's covering almost the entire branch. Finally, I can relax.

Normally the silence is soothing, but it almost seems too quiet, as if the it were holding its breath in anticipation. A rustling in the tree alerts me of another presence. I decide that I need to find out what is spying on me.

So, in conclusion, I threw a twig at the other side of the tree. The results were catastrophic.

First, I heard a yelp, then saw and heard the loud crash as a blur of black tumbled through the branches of the tree and thudded onto the ground.

Quick as lightning, I swing to ground to catch sight of the intruder before they can escape. But what I saw, laying on the ground gasping for breathe, changed my life forever in a matter of seconds.

**Okay HI GUYS! I'm Becca and my editor/beta is Megan and we are... THEFAULTINOURDUCKS! okay, anyways, please don't hate on us just because it isn't a traditional fanfiction. I know that it's normally supposed to be about the ACTUAL book characters but... whatever. My fanfiction, my rules. LOVE YOU (PERCY)!**

**~thefaultinourducks~**

_**This fanfiction is brought **_

_**to you by: PJO&Co **_


	2. Chapter 2: Mystery Boy

It's a boy. An actual, living, _breathing,_ boy, with real blood running through his veins. _Here._ In the _underworld_. The initial shock of meeting another living creature froze me in my place, and I stared at him, barely breathing.

He seemed to finally recollect his breath, and stood up. Bits of dirt and dry grass cling to his leather jacket and jeans, fluttering to the ground as he shook them off. I take a moment to take in his appearance.

Underneath his jacket he wears a plain black tee shirt that hugs his front, highlighting his muscles. His black jeans and converse are so worn out, they look like they're about to fall apart. Gathering my courage, I manage to lift my gaze to his face. The newcomer has tan olive skin, that contrasts with his striking, sapphire blue eyes, and dark brown hair.

I've heard rumors that eyes are the gateway to the soul, but I never truly believed it until this very moment. His eyes are the most beautiful sight I have ever come upon, as clear and blue as the Caribbean Sea. When his gaze meets mine, I freeze.

His gaze sweeps across me, no doubt observing myself just as I was doing to him seconds before. The feeling of someone analyzing me with such cold eyes makes me feel vulnerable, a feeling I haven't felt since I was five. He seems friendly enough, though...

Then he looks as though he's snatched out of a daydream and brought back to reality. His eyes crystallize to ice, any friendliness trapped inside the beautiful glaciers.

"What the heck was that for?" He demands. "Do you go around knocking people out of trees as a hobby?" This leaves me in a momentary state of shock, but I recover quickly.

"No, I'm not some creep like you that goes around spying on people!" I huff.

"I wasn't spying!"

"Oh really? Then what exactly _were_ you doing?"

"I... Um... Well, you see, it's actually a really funny story..." He starts hesitantly. I roll my eyes at him, obviously not convinced. "Okay, fine, maybe I was spying a little bit!"

"And why would that be?" I smirk. Man, for being out of practice for over ten years, I'm pretty good at being sarcastic!

"Uhhhh..."

"_Spit it out already!"_

_"Okay! _I saw a _girl _running towards this tree and it made me curious as to why there was someone down here with a bunch of dead people." He paused for a breath before glancing at me slyly. "And the fact that this _girl _was breathtakingly beautifuldidn't exactly help my curiosity."

I think I momentarily may have stopped breathing. Having lived in Hell for the majority of my life, I've never been flirted with. I never expected anyone to flirt with me, and as a result, my cheekbones catch fire.

The mystery boy notices my flushed face and laughs. "Oh, sorry, did you think I was talking about you? No, no, I was referring to that smokin' hot shade babe over there." He starts to walk over to the nearest shade. "Well, hello there, darling, why don't you and me go to my place and have a little fun tonight?" The shade shrieks, floating away.

He walks back looking disappointed. I slap him upside the head as soon as my laughter subsides. "That was a male shade, you doofus."

"Oh." His eyebrows furrow. Oh, my gods he looks so adorable when he does that! Wait, teenage hormones speaking, please ignore that. "Well, just so you know, I'm straight." He finishes with a wink.

This may sound crazy, but I feel like I've know this boy for my whole life. I feel like I could tell him anything. (**Cue Carly Rae Jepsen **_**Call Me Maybe) **_"Oh really?" I raise an eyebrow. Gods, those eyes are so beautiful...

"Mm-hmm," he murmurs stepping closer to me. "Most definitely straight." One step. "Because," he adds, with two more slow steps toward me. "I am finding myself extremely attracted to a certain _girl_ I met a few moments ago."

My breathing hitches. He is so close I can feel his warm breath on my face. I have to look up to meet his eyes, those gosh darn beautiful blue eyes that are gazing at me with a blazing fire in them that is so... Um, forget I said that. Again. "Can I assume that this time you aren't referring to that male shade you scared off?"

"Yes." He leans down, his lips centimeters from mine, so close yet much too far away. Our lips brush, and I feel a pleasant shock from the contact that sends a shiver down my spine. Just a little closer...

"_KAYDENCE!"_

I hiss quietly under my breath. My father. I must have been gone for over an hour and he had come to look for me. Snapping back to my senses, I shove Mystery Boy towards the tree. "Hurry! Father will kill you if he sees you!" His eyes widen at my statement and he scrambles hurriedly up the tree.

I smooth my hair and clothes down and wear a placid expression as my father storms down the hill. " Hello Father."

* * *

><p><strong>CHACHACHACHABREAKDANCELINEBREAKCHACHACHACONGALINEIMCRAYCRAYHE<strong>

* * *

><p>"Kaydence, what in the world caused you to be half an hour late for dinner? I was worried sick!" I resist the urge to roll my eyes. <em>Sure<em> he was. He couldn't care less where I am and what I'm doing. Alas, I act innocent.

"I am truly sorry, Father. I was here reading and having a picnic by myself and I fell asleep. It was an honest mistake." I bat my eyelashes for good measure. A snort of laughter is quickly smothered in the branches above me. I grit my teeth, hoping my father doesn't hear it. He eyes the tree suspiciously, but brings his gaze back to mine, sighing.

"Alright, you are forgiven. Since tomorrow is your birthday, I will ignore your mishap this one time." He smiles at me. "Gather up your picnic and be home in fifteen minutes. Don't be late."

"Yes, Father."

He walks away, and I wait until his form disappears before sighing and telling Mystery Boy to come down. He does so, but unlike last time, he does so without falling.

"I didn't know your name was Kaydence," he observes. "And tomorrow's your birthday?"

I nod. "I prefer to be called Kayde or Kayden, though. And tomorrow is my birthday, yes." I pause. "I never did learn your name..?"

He slaps himself on the forehead. "I'm such an idiot! My name's Nick Thatcher."

_Kayden Thatcher... Has a ring to it, _I think.

"Oh, my gods I did not just think that!"

"Think what?" Mystery B- _Nick_ asks, smirking.

I just said that out loud.

"_Can this get anymore mortifying?_"

"Yes, apparently it can."

I'm just going to stop thinking now.

Once again my face is flushed from embarrassment. I look over at Nick to find him laughing so hard he's doubled over. My embarrassment slips away as I catch his contagious laughter and grin as I laugh with him.

I haven't laughed or smiled this much in years.

What is this boy doing to me?

**Hey guys! sorry for not updating, i had serious writers block. Thanks so so much to my beta Megan for helping! and to my few readers, who (or whom idk&idc) I love so so much! Okay I have to go but hope you enjoyed this short little chapter!**

**-thefaulinourducks-**


	3. Chapter 3

"Kaydence."

"Father." He sighs.

"I am sorry for my outburst earlier, I just don't want to lose you, like- like your mother." He grimaces at the mention of my mom.

"You aren't going to lose me, father. The only thing that could possibly happen to me is, well, falling into the Styx, getting crushed by Sisyphus' boulder, getting eaten alive by a harpy... Should I continue?" I ask with a small smile. Father shakes his head and tells me I'm just like my mother before leaving the dinner table. Apparently he has 'business' to attend to. More like moping around and hating on my uncle, Zeus.

After dinner is my free time (yes, even more of it...), so I went to go find Nick. What, did you think I was just going to let the only human acquaintance I had ever made slip through my fingers? Yeah, not going to happen.

I run to the Fields of Asphodel and spot Nick leaning against the trunk of the oak tree. He must have heard my footsteps because he glances up, and his alluring eyes lock with mine. I nearly fall on my face as I trip over a rock that must have made its way into my path as I was ogling at Nick's eyes.

'_Stupid rock,' _I think bitterly, _'Stupid, entrancing, amazing blue eyes...'_

Nick is still gazing at me as I slide down the tree, sitting next to him. "I know that look," he says to me, "you're thinking about something, aren't you?"

"No, I'm just purposely having my mind go blank. Of course I'm thinking, what person doesn't?"

He sighs. "You know what I mean. What are you thinking about?" My face begins to tint pink. _You, you, you, you YOU, _is all that is running through my head.

"Nothing." My voice breaks halfway through the lie. Nick grins at me. Before I can comprehend what's happening, he swings his leg over mine so that he's straddling my hips. I suck in a breath, he's so close, too close, but not close enough...

"You're thinking about _me_, aren't you?" He teases, still sporting that silly lopsided grin on his face.

"If you don't wipe that smug smile off your face, I'll do it for you," I warn. His grin is replaced by a smirk, matched with playful lust in his eyes.

"Fine by me, although I would prefer you do it with your lips." I gape at him, shocked, as he leans in a few inches. "Why don't we pick up from where we were earlier?" He questions softly, gazing into my eyes. My mind blanks, and I have no response, so I decide to wing it.

I lean in and firmly press my lips to his.

**um. HAI. *hides behind rock that Kayde tripped on* PLZ DON'T KILL ME OMG I'M SORRY! But really, I am sorry I haven't updated in forever, and that this chapter is super, super, super short. (its kinda a filler chapter to tell the story line and the fact that i'm not dead lol) I've been traveling, dealing with friend drama, and starting school and I just haven't gotten to it! I promise I will update again soon, and that it will be longer. SORRY AGAIN! LOVE YOU GUYS! (OMG I LOVE NICK! THAT WHOLE PART WHERE HE STRADDLED KAYDE'S HIPS :* *THE BETA* AKA MEG)**

**~thefaultinourducks~**


	4. Chapter 4

I wake up to an insistent finger poking my side. Giggling, I squirm and crack my eyelids open and slap away my attacker. Nick. Gods, waking up to that face was amazing. As I stare at him, I recall my dream from last night, and my face flames at the thought of kissing him. We had spent the whole afternoon just talking to each other, and it was the most fun I'd had in ages. Not having anyone to talk to other than my moody, grudge-holding dad was a pretty boring lifestyle, I must say. "Why are you blushing?" Nick asks. "Have a dream about me- Don't worry, it happens to everyone." I blush a deeper crimson as he winks at me, and he laughs.

"N-no! That would be, um, completely inappropriate! And, um, uh, yeah..."

"You DID didn't you?" He falls of the root he was perched carefully on as he guffaws. "In my 16 years, never has someone actually admitted that they dreamt about me, even after my accusations! This calls for celebration!"

"I never admitted that it actually happened!" I facepalm as I realize that I had just told him I had dreamt about him. Nick just laughs as I glare halfheartedly at him. A crash and shout makes me yelp and fall on top of Nick. Even in this moment of chaos, I still scramble quickly to my feet, embarrassed by our close proximities.

_BOOM!_

Then:

"KAYDENCE!"

"Oh my Gods, Nick, you have to go! NOW!" I push at his chest, attempting to hide him, the Gods know where, before my father could see him. But his confusion only slows him down as he races down the hill and-

_straight into my dad._

Hades picks Nick up by his collar, moving him from his momentary position with his face in my father's chest. "Kaydence," he grinds out, "Who is _this_?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure... I just saw him walking around down here, and since you _never _let me leave this hellhole to meet other people, much less demigods, I was intrigued and wanted to talk to someone my age for once!" I breathe heavily, having said so much in one breath.

Hades looks at a loss for words, and... Is that hurt I see glimmering in his eyes? No, not Hades, the roughest, toughest God ever to rule the dead. There's not a chance that a measly teenage daughter of his could wound his thick ego with some sharp-edged rant.

"Kaydence, go home and wait for me in the foyer, we have to prepare for your birthday celebrations."

Nick stares at me as I facepalm. "Today's your birthday?"

I smile weakly at him. "I forgot..." His laughter is quickly cut off with a sharp look from my father. "Fine, I'll go home, on one condition."

Hades drags a hand down his face exasperatedly. "And what would that be?"

"He," I say, pointing at Nick, "comes with us for my birthday." Nick gapes at me for a moment, before a blindingly bright smile breaks out on his face.

My father's stiff posture gives away the anger bubbling underneath his skin. Dead grass crumbles to ash under his feet. "Fine. The boy may join us. Now we must go, before I change my mind." He drops Nick, who falls to his knees and rolls his shoulders, emitting a popping noise. He winces, then smiles crookedly at me. Gods, that smile is going to be the death of me.

**Yeah. I know. It's been too long, my friends. Sadly, a new lifestyle has been my undoing. What is this new way, you ask? NETFLIX. What on Netfilx? Once Upon A Time. But, why, oh why, would one show be my undoing, you wonder, concerned. TWO SENTENCES. "Bloody Hell, lass!" - Killian Jones. No more explaining needed. Please review, it'll remind me people actully like this, therefore motivating me to write. Anybody think I should start a Captain Swan fanfic? **


	5. Chapter 5

When we all sit at the dinner table, I start wondering why I invited Nick in the first place. Gods, this is so unbelievably awkward. Maybe it's because of all the human skull decor. "_So_!" I start, faux enthusiasm dripping from my words, "Um, this is nice... and quiet... and... _ohmigods somebody talk!"_

Nick sniggers, but a quick glare from Hades shuts him up. "Ahem, well, thank you for inviting me Kayde, and, um, sir, but I wouldn't want to intrude on this very intimate father-daughter moment, so..." My dad catches him by the collar,again, and pulls him back to his seat.

"Why, young man, Kaydence wishes for you to be here for her birthday, so _you will be here for her birthday._" His eyes glow red towards the end of his sentence.

Nick gulps and squeaks out, "Yes sir."

I squirm in my seat. "Dad, you know what, if you agree to let me see Nick later tonight, I will spare the both of you from this awfully awkward situation and have Nick leave! Yeah! Who's with me?" Hades and Nick both sigh in relief. "Nick, I'll walk you out." He nods and starts towards the ebony doorframe. The door glides shut, and we are left alone in silence. You know, other than the constant wailing over there in Tartarus.

"I'm sorry about not being able to stay, I just think it would be way less awkward for you without me there." Nick says as he stuffs his hands into his pockets and glances at me sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. My dad isn't exactly capable of a warm welcome."

Nick smiles. Towering above me by at least half a foot, he leans down and plants a tender kiss on the top of my head. "See you later, Kayde." I swayed on my feet as I watched him slip into the shadows cast by my house. A goofy grin slowly broke out across my face as I twirled around and went back inside with a bounce in my step.

"Okay, Father, Nick is gone. What do you want to do now?" Hades stands and walks towards me. He grips my shoulders lightly and holds me away from him, as if admiring me, and smiles a rare, genuine smile. This act of fatherly affection catches me off-guard, so I'm just standing there looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"Kaydence, you are fifteen. Fifteen! I remember when Alecto first came to me with you clutched in her claws, saying that- that your mother had..." He put a fist to his mouth to choke down a sob. "You were so little, so innocent and peaceful. To me, you will always be that carefree little girl, so ignorant to the evil that surrounded you. I suppose I just wanted to keep you that way... Kaydence, I am so, so, sorry I have kept this from you. I will never forgive myself for what I have done. You should have had this as soon as you were able to handle it, and I just... Here."

Hades hands me a large box, wrapped in silver and white wrapping paper and promptly sank into a chair, holding his head in his hands. I hesitantly rip the paper off the box, warily watching my father in my peripheral vision, not used to the fragility shining in his eyes. It was a mahogany chest with a stygian iron lock and key. Inside the chest laid a silver diamond and opal encrusted hand mirror, a charcoal pencil, a metal stylus, a paper with some strange symbol on it, and a capsule of dark green liquid. "What... What is all this?" I look up towards my father.

"Kaydence... This is a way for you to see your mother."

* * *

><p>I blink once. Twice. Three times. "You said there was no way to see my mom again. Are you saying that for fifteen years I have been lied to by my own father?" I exclaim.<p>

"Kaydence I am so sorry. I wanted to keep you to myself, to allow you to live the life of a normal teenage girl, and not be harbored by the thought of seeing your mother. I don't know what I was thinking. I see now that I was wrong." Each word of nonsense that slips from his lips only fuels my growing anger.

"Let me be a normal teenager? Dad, I'm living in Hell. I'm half god. My life is abnormal, even for a demigod. I'm just that weird. Nothing that you could have done would have made this life better, more normal, or happier, especially keeping my mom from me! Family and freedom were the only things I needed, and that is exactly what you have been keeping from me! I want to meet other demigods my age! I don't want to be some freaky daughter of the Death God that is feared and laughed at by all the normal kids. And something else? I'm fifteen years old, and I've been alone for that whole time."

"You haven't been alone! I have always been here for you!"

"You have never been there for me!" I cry. "You're always claiming to be working, of on a business trip, or doing something, anything, that requires you to be away from me! And you know what? I needed my mom! I needed her to guide me through life, and I could have had that, but you took it away from me!" An uneasy silence filled the room as my shouts echoed off the walls.

"Kaydence! Wait!" Hades yells as I grab the chest and flee the palace. As I'm running, tears streak down my cheeks, and I can only think of is Nick. I need to see Nick. My feet carry me to the Fields of Asphodel on instinct, and I can see Nick laying by one of the few freshwater ponds in the Underworld with an arm strewn over his eyes and a goofy grin on his face. My pace slows slightly as I near him, but he still starts at the sound of my footsteps. His eyes still closed, Nick sits upright.

"Eager to see me, Kaydie?" He sings. "Don't worry, my heart is an empty void without you by my side as well." Nick's smirk drops from his face and is replaced by a look of raw worry and concern as soon as he opens his eyes to my distressed state. I ran towards him, dropping the box, and he gripped me to his chest, smoothing my hair and rubbing my back soothingly. He pulled me back for a moment to scan my face before hugging me again.

"Oh my Gods, Kayde, are you okay? Wait, no, you're obviously not okay. What's wrong? Did something happen? Is there anything I can do? Oh Gods, I'm probably making it worse by talking so much. I'll shut up now." I smile through my tears at his nervous rambling. Sighing, I breathe in his scent- he smells like nature and mint - one last time before pulling my face away from his black shirt.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your shirt," I say, eyeing the wet spot on his shoulder. He just grins and shakes his head at me.

"I wasn't concerned, but I could take it off if you think-"

"No! Nope, I'm good!" I shout, blushing furiously at the thought of Nick not wearing a shirt under his leather jacket. Nick just laughs and ruffles my hair. I pout and smooth it down again. Nick stares at something behind me.

"What's that?" He questions, pointing towards the dark wooden chest. I reluctantly stand up to retrieve it from where I had dropped it.

"My dad said that it's a way to see my mother."

"Oh, so like drachmas for an Iris Message?"

"No. You can't exactly use an Iris Message to contact my mom."

"Why?"

"Because she's dead."

Nick just stares at me in horror. "Oh my Gods, Kayde, I had no idea..."

I smile at his empathy. "It's okay. I barely remember her."

"So... If it's not an Iris Message... What is it?"

"I don't know, but I want to find out."

**Yeah, yeah. Sorry, guys. I'll try harder.**

**~thefaultinourducks~**


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